


Man of The House

by Wendymypooh



Series: Moments in Time Series [8]
Category: Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-20 21:51:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6026512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wendymypooh/pseuds/Wendymypooh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Matthew Cooper feels the need to help his ma take care of the family more, if only he could make his Ma understand. This is Story #8 in my "Moments in Time" series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Man of The House

1865

Matthew yawned sleepily and rubbed his tired eyes. He set his pencil down and closed his history book. He was finally finished with the essay Reverend Johnson had given him. His ma was determined that he and his younger siblings would grow up educated despite the fact Colorado Springs had no school. 

Her own education had been limited, and she wanted more for her children. That was why she had hired the reverend to teach him, Colleen, and Brian. In exchange for a couple days of tutoring each week, his ma did the reverends’ laundry and gave him free meals on the days he taught them. The arrangement was working out for everyone but Matthew. 

He didn’t think he needed any more book learning. He knew how to read and write and do his figures. He had a rough understanding of the laws of the land, knew how to keep someone from cheating him, and was knowledgeable enough about history to be able to recite the Declaration of Independence and Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. 

What he needed to be doing was working, not studying. He hated seeing how tired his ma was after a long day of running the boarding house. She worked so hard to provide for him, Colleen, and Brian. He wanted, no needed, to do more to contribute to the household. 

He had to make his ma understand that she could depend on him to help out more. He was after all the man of the house now that his pa was gone, and it was his job to take care of the family, if only his ma would let him.


End file.
